Baffin Island
Baffin Island, located in the Arctic Archipelago, is the fifth largest island in the world and is characterized by its stunning, unspoiled landscapes, including glaciers, fjords, and a rich biodiversity. It is positioned between the Canadian mainland and Greenland, with a significant portion falling within the newly established territory of Nunavut, a result of a land claim agreement with the Inuit population in 1993. The island's harsh Arctic climate features long, dark winters and brief, sunlit summers, with temperatures rarely exceeding 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit) even in summer. Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut and the least populous capital city in Canada, is located at the southern tip of the island.
Baffin Island is home to a range of wildlife, including polar bears, arctic hares, and various marine species, which have adapted to the challenging environment. This unique ecosystem attracts ecotourists, who engage local guides to explore its natural wonders. However, the island also faces environmental concerns due to the potential impacts of resource exploration and hunting rights, which threaten its delicate habitats and endangered species. The interplay of natural beauty and the quest for resources on Baffin Island presents a complex narrative that is of interest to scientists, historians, and conservationists alike.
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Baffin Island
Located in the remote reaches of the Arctic Archipelago, Baffin Island remains one of the most unspoiled places on earth. Polar bears, glaciers, and a vast frozen landscape draw only the hardiest residents and tourists to the world's fifth largest island (following Greenland, New Guinea, Borneo, and Madagascar). Nevertheless, Baffin evokes its own share of controversy as scientists and historians dig deep below its icy surfaces for clues to a medieval past and possibilities for the future of a resource-hungry world.
Land & Climate
Baffin Island rests between the Canadian mainland and Greenland, with Canada's Devon and Ellesmere Islands to the north. Once part of Canada's Northwest Territories, Baffin Island became part of the territory of Nunavut following a land claim agreement signed by the Inuit people and the Canadian government in 1993.
On its west side, the island curves around to cradle the waters of Foxe Basin and Prince Charles Island. To the north, Baffin's craggy peaks spread to Baffin Bay, which separates Baffin Island from the western edge of Greenland. Deep channels on this side of the island mark where glaciers separated from the land thousands of years ago. To the south of Baffin Island, the Hudson Straight separates the island from the northern reaches of Quebec. On the southern tip of the island at the head of Frobisher Bay is Nunavut's capital, Iqaluit. Baffin Island covers an area of 507,451 square kilometers (195,928 square miles) with a population 13, 148 residents (2016 estimate), most of whom live in Iqaluit. According to the 2016 census, Iqaluit was home to 7,082 residents, making it the least populous capital city in Canada. The Baffin census division, including outlying islands, had a population of 18,988 in 2016.
Baffin Island's arctic latitude means that its winters consist of nearly two months of darkness, and summer features nearly three months when the sun never dips below the horizon. Even with the continuous daylight between May and July, temperatures rarely top 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit), making for sporadic snow and ice storms even in the summer. Winter on Baffin Island is harsh, with January temperate averaging about –20 degrees Celsius (–4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the south and –28 degrees Celsius (–18 degrees Fahrenheit) in the north.
As a result, travel around the island varies by season. During the warm months when the ice breaks up in inlets and melts on arctic meadows, much of the island's coastline is best accessed by boat. A myriad of deep, cold streams carve their way through vast meadowlands where lush green grasses and wild flowers flourish for a few brief months.
The island is home to a surprising array of plant and animal species that have adapted to its difficult climate. Polar bears, lemmings, arctic hare, caribou, and foxes populate the land while several species of whales, seals, and walruses gather along the rocky coastline. Ecotourists hire resident guides to find communities of snow geese and narwhals.
Endangered animals such as the arctic wolf and bowhead whale depend on Baffin and surrounding areas as one of the last refuges on earth. However, environmentalists fear that energy resource exploration and even Inuit hunting rights could help bring about the end of these species.
Bibliography
Adams, Peter, and M. J. Dunbar. "Arctic Archipelago." Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Foundation, 16 Oct. 2015, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/arctic-archipelago. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.
Lee, Alastair. Baffin Island: The Ascent of Mount Asgard. Frances Lincoln, 2011. Print.
Marsh, James, and Erin James-Abra. "Baffin Island." Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 4 Mar. 2015,www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/baffin-island/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.
Matthiasson, John S. Living on the Land: Change among the Inuit of Baffin Island. Broadview, 1992. Print.
Newbery, Nick. "Iqaluit." Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 7 Mar. 2019,www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/iqaluit/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.
Nuchols, Emily. "Adventurers Cross Baffin Island on Age-Old Inuit Routes." National Geographic, 12 Mar. 2015, www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/video-adventurers-cross-baffin-island-on-age-old-inuit-routes. Accessed 4 Nov. 2021.
Refsnider, Kurt A., and Gifford H. Miller. "Ice-Sheet Erosion and the Stripping of Tertiary Regolith from Baffin Island, Eastern Canadian Arctic." Quarternary Science Reviews, vol. 67, 2013, pp. 176–89. Print.